Johnson F B, Oertel Y C, Ammann K
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, D.C., USA.
Diagn Cytopathol. 1995 Feb;12(1):76-80. doi: 10.1002/dc.2840120118.
Six cases of sialadenitis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration contained large numbers of crystalloids. Light microscopy, ultrastructure, and chemical analysis suggest that the crystalloids represent crystallized salivary alpha-amylase. The inflammatory swelling may mimic benign and/or malignant neoplasms of the salivary glands. Drainage and/or antibiotic therapy may allow surgery to be avoided in these patients.
